Telematically monitoring and predicting a vehicle battery state

Abstract

Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for monitoring vehicle components and providing indications towards the condition of the vehicle components and providing optimal indications towards replacement or maintenance of vehicle components before vehicle component failure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of monitoring a battery of a specific vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a remote site from a telematics hardware device connected to a vehicle network communication bus of the specific vehicle, a plurality of real-time voltage signals indicating a change in voltage of the battery at times associated with a corresponding plurality of real-time crankings of a starter motor of the specific vehicle; 
 determining, by a controller at the remote site, for each of the plurality of real-time voltage signals, a minimum voltage of the voltage signal, to generate a plurality of minimum voltages for a time period of the specific vehicle; 
 determining, by the controller at the remote site, a variance of the plurality of minimum voltages for the time period of the specific vehicle; 
 generating, by the controller at the remote site, a prediction of a failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle based at least in part on decreasing magnitudes of the plurality of minimum voltages and an increasing variance of the plurality of minimum voltages; and 
 indicating one of a replacement warning and a replacement of the battery based on the prediction of the failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the prediction of the failing state of the battery comprises generating a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein generating the prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition comprises generating a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on temperature. 
     
     
       4. A system configured to monitor a battery of a specific vehicle, the system comprising:
 a telematics hardware device connected to a vehicle network communication bus, the telematics hardware device of the specific vehicle including a processor, memory, firmware and communications capability; and 
 a remote device including a processor, memory, software and communications capability, 
 wherein the telematics hardware device is configured to monitor the battery of the specific vehicle and log a plurality of real-time voltage signals indicating a change in voltage of the battery at times associated with a corresponding plurality of real-time crankings of a starter motor of the specific vehicle, wherein the telematics hardware device is configured to communicate a log including the plurality of real-time voltage signals, 
 wherein the remote device is configured to receive the plurality of real-time voltage signals; 
 wherein the remote device is configured to determine, for each of the plurality of real-time voltage signals, a minimum voltage of the voltage signal, to generate a plurality of minimum voltages for a time period of the specific vehicle; 
 wherein the remote device is configured to determine a variance of the plurality of minimum voltages for the time period of the specific vehicle; 
 wherein the remote device is configured to generate a prediction of a failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle based at least in part on decreasing magnitudes of the plurality of minimum voltages and an increasing variance of the plurality of minimum voltages; and 
 wherein the remote device is configured to indicate one of a replacement warning and a replacement of the battery based on the prediction of the failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the prediction of the failing state of the battery comprises a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the environmental condition comprises temperature.